I have several Fluke digital multi meters (from when they were still made in USA) but needed an analog meter for some testing at work.  I found a Simpson 635 on E Bay and it is one nice, well made unit!!  What meters do yall use?

I'm going through my 3rd or 4th cheap 40 NIS (about 10$) multimeter. They do the job, untill you drop them once or twice and they begin to be unreliable and glitchy - i keep the others for when i need a 2nd meter anyway

I use mostly the Chiepeese $15 pocket "credit card size" meters (two I bought at RadioShack when visiting US, the latest 3'rd one from DX), they could be easily carried whenever needed. Although supplied only from LR44, I "managed" to mechanically damage them way sooner (about 5..6 years) than the battery discharged (broken cover hinges, the cover itself...; all 3 meters I have do electrically work, but only one have still working cover, so remain functional)
Interestingly all three I have are pretty fast on the Continuity beeper, in my experience VERY useful feature when you want to troubleshoot something. But they are lacking the higher current ranges (two do not measure cuurrent at all, the 3'rd one (from DX) only up to 200mA)

Otherwise I have Metex M3870D: A piece of c***p. It look like thousands of functions, cost me about $100, but the accuracy is the same as above and draw the 9V battery in few hours time (consume about 10mA when ON and 2mA when "AutoPowerOff"). And unlike the cheepese above it does not have the "diode test" function and the continuity test is vveeerrryyy ssslllooowww tttooo rrreeessspppooonnnddd. I have to use it sometimes, as it is the only instrument I have featuring >200mA current ranges.

As thermometer I use $16 IR gun from BIC, pretty well inside it's accuracy.

A few cheap digital multimeters, a digital capacitor meter and an Avo8 MkV analogue multimeter for proper work. I have a Maplin M2020S (analogue) currently in need of a new perspex window.

I also have a Goldstar 20MHz analogue oscilloscope with function generator (produces a variety of waveforms) for TV and audio work. This was bought new in 1990 or 1991.


BG

Mines a Kewtech KT21 digital clamp meter.

I have 2 multimeters, the first is some cheap 15$ meter that does not measure current except for DC up to 200 mA but it is well made and I have had it for nearly 10 years. My other meter is a better (30$) one that has more current ranges and also measures capacitance. It is the meter I primarily use.

I also have a very old (I would guess late 60's) insulation tester, and an old (I don't know the exact year, but the instructions says (C) 1979) digital capacitance meter (made in USA) that can measure a wider range of capacitances than my multimeter. I got these two from an acquaintance who works with electronics repair. 

 MY favorite all time meter that been very durable and rugged all can get out, I even left it in the rain
  it a Digital Wavetek XT25 wich have some use for electronics work, that meter stay in my shop now
  and i started useing those freebee harbor fright meter, and i have a analog one i built as a kit
when i was a kid being my first meter from radio shack.

me all I got is a beat up avo 7  dose the job tho 

I have all kinds of meters in various conditions and ages. For lighting use, I have a Fluke benchtop digital voltmeter with nixie tubes (pictured in my gallery somewhere). I also have a handful of cheapie multimeters that I carry with me. My most useful portable meter is my Tempo Sidekick T&N telecom meter. It is designed for testing everything related to telephone lines, but I use it for other low voltage jobs as well.

I use a very good FLUKE 87III true RMS Multimeter. I got it from my taskmaster back in 2001 as gift, after I passed succesfully the examen.

I have a cheapo digital one (I much prefer digital displays over anaglog for voltage readings) but if I ever need an analog one my Dad has a couple.  Mine runs on a 9v battery and has to have a battery even for measuring line voltage, not just continuity/resistance. (are all multimeters that way?). And I have a "hot stick".

All digital meters need a power supply for the electronics and display, analogue meters (except FET-based) will give voltage and current measurements using energy derived from the circuit under test. Hope this helps!


BG

All digital meters need a power supply for the electronics and display, analogue meters (except FET-based) will give voltage and current measurements using energy derived from the circuit under test. Hope this helps!

BG

There are many higher end analog meters using an active signal processing before the indicator: Amplifiers, true-rms rectifiers,... And these need the battery for basic operations as well.

There are naby higher end analog meters using an active signal processing before the indicator: Amplifiers, true-rms rectifiers,... And these need the battery for basic operations as well.

That is the case with my T&N Sidekick. It is basically a digital meter with an analog display. That is how it can perform advanced operations such as counting load coils on a line, for instance.

I didn't know those things existed! Mind you I've been out of the mainstream service field for some 20 years now. A mate of mine has a very posh digital scope, it'd take me hours to work out all the main functions! And probably days to explore all the clever features .. a bit of a learning curve

BG